Criteria and Core Components - HLC/NCA Self Study

NCA Five Accreditation Criteria:

Documents are clear and articulate publicly the organization’s commitments
Organization recognizes the diversity of its learners, other constituencies, and the greater society it serves
Understanding of and support for the mission pervade the organization
Governance and administrative structures promote effective leadership and support collaborative processes that enable the organization to fulfill its mission
Organization upholds and protects its integrity

Realistically prepares for a future shaped by multiple societal and economic trends
Resource base supports its educational programs and its plans for maintaining and strengthening their quality in the future
Ongoing evaluation and assessment processes provide reliable evidence of institutional effectiveness that clearly informs strategies for continuous improvement
All levels of planning align with the mission, thereby enhancing its capacity to fulfill that mission

Goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each educational program and make effective assessment possible
Organization values and supports effective teaching
Organization creates effective learning environments
Organization’s learning resources support student learning and effective teaching

Organization demonstrates, through the actions of its board, administrators, students, faculty, and staff, that it values a life of learning
Organization demonstrates that acquisition of a breadth of knowledge and skills and the exercise of intellectual inquiry are integral to its educational programs
Organization assesses the usefulness of its curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse and technological society
The organization provides support to ensure that faculty, students and staff acquire, discover and apply knowledge responsibly

Organization learns from the constituencies it serves and analyzes its capacity to serve their needs and expectations
Organization has the capacity and the commitment to engage with its identified constituencies and communities
Organization demonstrates its responsiveness to those constituencies that depend on it for service
Internal and external constituencies value the services the organization provides